A special thanks to p17oyDONju9n for reminding me of something I intended to put in explicit terms in the prologue disclaimer, which I'll instead add here.
As a story, Soulborn takes place after manga volume 48 of Bleach, and after the end of the first serialization of Rosario + Vampire. It is AU for both original manga from beyond that point. That means groups of characters, concepts, and plot developments from the original two manga, such as the Fairy Tale organization from Rosario + Vampire's second serialization, and Xcution from Bleach's latest chapters, may not exist in Soulborn.
Chapter 4 should follow shortly. 3 and 4 were originally going to be one single chapter, but it was running much too long, so I decided to split it up.
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, Rosario + Vampire, or any of the characters contained therein either story. I write this for my own amusement, the amusement of my fellow fans of said series, and for the sake of technical practice in writing itself. Do not ingest without first consulting a physician.
I waive ownership rights to any original characters created by me, for this crossover, if the original creator(s) of either of the two aforementioned manga wish to use them. However if said event occurs, I humbly ask to be consulted first.
Though frankly, if either author even so much as acknowledges this story exists, I think I might die from shock.
This story is rated M for violence, coarse language, and mild innuendo. Reader discretion is advised.
Chapter 3: Fates by the Swim Trunks
The next morning came much too quickly for Ichigo's tastes. After his brief conversation with his father about the strange actions of the various girls that followed Tsukune around like puppy dogs awaiting a treat, he'd tried to clear his mind by reading a few of the books he'd brought with him for the ride over. It was one of Ichigo's best kept secrets that he had, in fact, an ongoing fascination with the complete works of William Shakespeare. So whenever he picked up one of the Bard's titles to read in public, many people who didn't know him well were usually quite surprised.
He slept after a while, but it wasn't a terribly long or restful slumber. He woke earlier than the other members of his family, at about eight in the morning local time. With a change of scenery in mind, Ichigo pulled a few articles of clothing out from his red colored suitcase to change into. He hadn't bothered to undress himself from the previous day's outfit when he'd gone to bed, but he wasn't about to go out in the same outfit again today. He still had an image to uphold, and being a bit of a slob wasn't part of it.
His outfit for the day was a fairly simple one. He selected an airy, white button-down shirt with short sleeves, and pockets in the front to go with a pair of knee length, blue colored shorts made of cotton. Beneath the button-down shirt, which he thought to wear open, was a fairly ordinary baby blue muscle shirt. Satisfied with his selection, Ichigo took his clothes, plus a change of underwear, and after a quick shower, was dressed and on his way downstairs with his personal copy of Macbeth tucked beneath his arm.
After a bit of wandering, Ichigo found himself in a large outdoor cafe that was a part of the resort. Both spacious and well lit, the tropical themed establishment catered to those who expected the sort of exotic decorations and regalia in an island restaurant that are depicted in the typical Hollywood movie. Several circular tables awaited to seat customers throughout the cafe, each with their own umbrella made of thatched straw that vaguely reminded Ichigo of a sugegasa. On each table, an array of island flowers were arranged into a bouquet inside a thin and angular glass vase. Without missing a step, Ichigo found an empty table and sat down, ordered a cup of coffee, and began to read his book.
"You're up early," Said the voice of an older gentleman to Ichigo's left, his Japanese spoken under a thick Hawaiian accent, "too excited to begin your day to sleep in?"
Turning to regard the voice, Ichigo saw the familiar form of the man from the touring agency that had ironed out their schedule with them the night before. The most extraordinary feature about the man was, far and away, his height. At six-foot-eight, the man stood even taller than Ichigo's friend Chad, and his muscular build gave an impression that they might be long lost relatives. He was dressed rather formally, sporting a white blazer with purple undershirt, a white tie, matching dress pants, and expensive black leather shoes. He wore his black hair short and slicked back, with a faint hint of gray peeping out at the roots. He had a distinguished air about him, which served to enhance the strong, handsome features of a face that bore growing lines of age. His brown eyes looked down at Ichigo with a gentle, unassuming care of a man who loved children, and probably had many of his own.
"Couldn't sleep," Ichigo answered briskly, setting his book down as he took a sip of his coffee. He didn't know why he ordered it, he didn't even really care for coffee, "Figured I might as well come down and not wake everyone up."
"How considerate of you," The man said, beaming Ichigo an approving smile, "forgive me, you're Isshin's son, correct?"
"Yeah," Ichigo answered with a nod, "Ichigo Kurosaki."
"My apologies, it's difficult for me to remember the names of everyone I encounter on the job," the man said, bowing his head slightly as he handed Ichigo a small white card that bore some words in English, "I'm Ka'eo Mahelona, if you have any needs during your trip, I'm always on the other end of that number."
Examining the card more carefully, Ichigo noted a phone number on the bottom of the card. He couldn't read much of what was written on the card otherwise, but he knew a phone number when he saw it. "Thanks, I'll hold onto it."
"But I didn't mean to interrupt your reading, so I'll be on my way," Ka'eo said, an apologetic smile on his face, "please, enjoy your time here in Hawaii."
Turning, the man paced away without another word.
Thinking nothing else of the chance encounter, Ichigo picked up his book and was about to resume reading, when he heard a pair of voices he was starting to become accustomed to, shouting in unison at each other. The orange haired boy didn't even bother turning his head. He didn't need to – everyone within a half mile could probably hear their not-so private conversation.
"How many times do I have to tell you, don't call me that!" Kurumu shouted, her fist raised at the pint sized witch who ran out ahead of her, into the cafe.
"I could call you heifer instead!" Yukari shot back, sticking her tongue out at the blue haired succubus as she ran further into the cafe.
"Why you..." Kurumu growled, her fist now shaking as she tried to keep her cool, "I think you need to be taught a lesson, little girl."
"Bring it on, whole milk!" Yukari cooed in a sweet sounding voice, stomping her foot in defiance at the older girl.
"That's it!" Kurumu shouted, bursting into a run after the young lass, "I'm going to teach you some respect!"
"Oh no, she's charging, I better run before she tramples me with her utters!" Yukari cried in mock fear, as she made a B line away from Kurumu.
As the two ran past, Ichigo finally got a good look at them. Yukari was dressed in virtually the same outfit as last time, one the former shinigami was beginning to think reflected well of her foul mouth. On the other hand, Kurumu was dressed in a very different outfit. She wore a sleeveless pink shirt, with the hem cut high to expose her naval, with a thin vest made of denim atop it. A baby blue skirt that reached halfway to her knees danced in response to the swaying motion of her hips, as she chased Yukari out the cafe into other parts of the restaurant. Even her shoes were different, her black flip flops replaced by a pair of white tennis shoes with long, matching socks.
She was attractive, Ichigo definitely had to admit, while he pulled up his book and began to read again. Yet if this was any indication of the blue haired girl's normal behavior, he couldn't help but wonder just how Tsukune kept himself from passing out from exhaustion.
"Well, they're busy this morning," Another person said, forcing Ichigo to turn his attention away from his book once more to turn his gaze that way. As if summoned by his very thoughts, Tsukune stood off to his left, a small brown bag tucked under his arm. "Mind if I join you?"
"If you want," Ichigo conceded, closing the book that he probably wouldn't get to finish this morning.
For a moment, the two were quiet. In the end, it was Tsukune who spoke first, "it's pretty humid out today, isn't it?"
Recognizing the small talk for what it was, Ichigo nodded in reply, "yeah, a bit."
The silence that followed for a moment was particularly awkward.
"I hope that Yukari didn't give you guys the wrong impression," Tsukune finally said, scratching the back of his head awkwardly, "she has a way of saying outrageous things sometimes."
"So that's what this is about?" Ichigo thought to himself, choosing his words carefully as he spoke to the other boy sitting near him, "I met a kid once who had a vocabulary that didn't quite match her age, I think I understand where you're coming from."
"I'm glad," Tsukune said, letting out a sigh of relief, "I was afraid everyone was going to think I was some kind of crazy pervert when she said that in the car."
"Don't worry about it," Ichigo said, his characteristic scowling face forming as he waved a hand dismissively, "from what I've seen of her, I wouldn't be surprised if she said what she said just to get that kind of reaction out of everyone."
"No, she probably meant what she said quite literally," the somewhat hushed voice of Mizore answered, poking her head out from under the table where both Ichigo and Tsukune were sitting, right between the two of them.
Both Tsukune and Ichigo recoiled slightly in surprise, though Tsukune recovered quickly from experience. Ichigo on the other hand, was almost beside himself. He asked, in an exasperated tone just short of a yell, "how long have you been under there, anyway?"
"Long enough to know you really shouldn't try to get involved in books in public," Mizore answered, sitting down in the chair directly beside Tsukune.
Ichigo's scowl deepened. Neither Mizore or Tsukune bothered to change their clothes since yesterday. That, or they packed many, many identical sets of clothing. Either way, he hadn't really noticed Tsukune's non-change in clothes, but Mizore's choice of attire was hard for him not to notice.
From what he could tell, it was hard for Tsukune not to notice, either.
"A-are we going to the beach today, Mizore?" Tsukune stammered, his face turning beat red from close proximity to Mizore's revealing outfit.
"I don't know," Mizore replied, pulling her lollipop from her lips and scrutinizing it as if in deep contemplation, "it would be nice if the water wasn't so warm."
"It's too warm for you?" Tsukune asked, earning him a shallow nod from the lavender haired girl.
"That little brat!" Growled a now soaked Kurumu, who approached from outside the cafe towards the table before Mizore could give a proper reply, "can you believe it? She tripped some stranger and he fell right into me! I lost my balance and went right in a pool!"
Thin rivulets of water trickled down Kurumu's body as she stomped through the cafe, each step earning the ground another tiny puddle generated from the definitively drenched damsel. Both her top and her skirt clung tightly to her body, revealing more of her underwear than she likely wanted seen by the public. It didn't seem to bother her too much, at least, not so much that it got in the way of her indignation at a specific eleven year old witch.
"Are you okay, Kurumu?" Tsukune asked, as Mizore barely stifled a laugh.
"No, Tsukune!" Kurumu whined and, as Ichigo rose from his seat and walked off, stole the former shinigami's chair to use as her own, "I need you to console me! I've been traumatized!"
Mizore couldn't help but roll her eyes at the succubus' unoriginal ploy to try and gain the brown haired boy's attention. What surprised her, and everyone else, was when a white towel sailed onto her shoulder, heaved towards her from somewhere on her blindside. The three turned to see Ichigo, walking off towards the interior of the hotel.
"Ah... thanks!" Kurumu called out to the orange-haired boy, who raised his right in a wave of acknowledgment, never turning back as he departed.
The rather hectic antics of Tsukune and his harem were nothing compared to what awaited Ichigo when he returned to his families suite. He was greeted by his father's usual attempted battery for the morning, which was swiftly dealt with by means of a quick jab to the side of the head. Rather, what kept Ichigo's eyes and mind busy was his sister Yuzu. So excited was she, that in her brother's opinion, if she was anymore enthusiastic about the day, her poor little head might have exploded.
The activities they were to enjoy that day were split between three groups. On his father's urging, and the good graces of a the elder Mr. Aono, Ichigo was sent along with Tsukune, Moka, and Koji to a nearby sporting goods mega-store to enjoy whatever sort of athletic festivities they had to offer. Ichigo would have offered the spot to his more sports inclined sister, Karin, but a passing glance of his father's serious face said there was more to his decision than met the eye. So Ichigo chose to go along with it.
The rental company had given Koji a brand new red sedan to use as long as he was in Honolulu for his trip. It's spacious interior was by no means as luxurious as the stretch limousine that they'd been carried to their hotel in the day before, but it's soft leather seats and ample leg room still made for a very comfortable ride. All sorts of buttons and monitors lined a dash board trimmed by wooden panels with a luscious red finish. Yet when the key turned and the engine started, it roared to life with the steady hum of a muscle car, not the weak murmur of a typical family vehicle.
A fact that was entirely lost on Ichigo, Tsukune, and Moka. There are some pleasures that only a grown man can appreciate, Koji thought to himself, and he had every intention of absorbing the experience of driving such an expensive car to the fullest.
Seating arrangements were straightforwardly dictated by Koji before anyone sat foot in the car. Naturally, the Aono patriarch was set firmly in the drivers seat, while Tsukune and Ichigo were placed in the back seat, with Ichigo on the left and Tsukune on the right. Much to the disappointment of both Moka and Tsukune, the aforementioned vampire heroine was forced to sit shotgun next to Koji, who seemed intent on preventing his son from having a strictly romantic experience this early on the trip.
It was ironic, then, as just before they got in the car, Ichigo had offered to switch places with the disappointed looking Moka. While Koji oh so smoothly dismantled any chances of Moka taking up Ichigo's offer, it drove home the point to the vampire that in reality, the fiery haired teenager was far from the biggest obstacle towards realizing the opportunity this trip represented. Quietly, she found herself thankful that her principle rivals were stuck together with Kasumi, and made a point to thank Ichigo for being so considerate of her before the trip was over.
The drive across downtown Honolulu proved to be both scenic, and slightly terrifying. The powerful engine of the sedan brought out an ferocious side to Koji that was unknown even to Tsukune. Tight corners, hard accelerations, and plentiful speeding left the three teenagers wondering more than once whether or not they were going to survive he ride across town. In a way, his sheer abandon behind the wheel rivaled Kenpachi's abandon amidst the battlefield, or so Ichigo thought.
When they arrived at the sporting goods store, Ichigo, Moka, and Tsukune all found themselves up and out of the car so fast that Ichigo was left wondering if in that instant, he'd somehow managed to use shunpo. Getting as much distance from the vehicle that had brought them there as possible, all three were inside the three story shop before Koji could hardly say, 'hey, wait for me'.
To say the store was big was something of an understatement. While only about three stories high, the massive shopping complex was easily larger in area than the typical supermarket. Red, blue, and orange dominated the color scheme of the store, with certain sections of the complex painted in different hues to reflect different sports as appropriate. Rows upon rows of equipment for every athletic pursuit imaginable lined the walls of the complex, with the center of the building dominated by a large indoor rock climbing wall. Surrounding the climbing wall was a fully functioning gym, which included spaces for weight lifting, boxing, aerobics, and machine running. There was even a side partition connected to the building that contained a firing range, for those who enjoyed gun sports, and archery.
"Alright, remember, the man at the agency said our shopping cap was one hundred sixty five thousand yen per individual," Koji reminded everyone as he caught up to rest, between gasps for air, "the debit cards they gave us already turned the money to dollars, so we don't have to worry about finding a bank to get our money changed around. Just remember, remember, remember, that this is all of the money you get for souvenirs and such."
Nodding in acknowledgment as Koji passed the cards out to present company, Ichigo, Moka, and Tsukune instantly found themselves separated from the elder Aono as he was off to the firing range. Nobody could be sure if Koji simply liked things that were aggressive, or just loud, but they certainly seemed to draw him like a moth to the flame.
"So, Ichigo, do you like sports?" Moka eventually asked as the group of three teenagers sifted through a few racks of sportswear, earning her a not so subtle look of surprise from Tsukune.
"Not really," Ichigo answered as he examined a swimsuit, realizing that he'd forgotten to bring one along for the trip, "I went to a karate dojo when I was a kid, but that was about the most of it."
"Neither of us play much sports either," Moka admitted, stifling a mild giggle at the silliness of the situation, "kind of odd that the three of us would be here, isn't it?"
"It seems like this stop was just an excuse for Dad to go see a shooting range, really," Tsukune said with a chuckle, shaking his head. In the back of his mind, he was glad that Moka wasn't afraid of socializing with what, as far as they could tell, was an average, run of the mill human. It wasn't too long ago, he recalled, that Moka bore a grudge against the entire species because of how she was treated as a child. He'd hoped, in his heart, that one day she might truly get over it, but until today he hadn't seen any proof that she'd made much progress. Sure, Tsukune knew she'd speak to him, but he wasn't a normal case.
"I'm going to try this on," Ichigo said, swinging a fairly ordinary blue colored pair of swim trunks over his shoulder as he walked off towards the dressing rooms, "I'll meet back up with you guys later."
"Tsukune, would you come over here for a moment?" Moka asked, as she noted to her delight that Ichigo was indeed wandering off out of sight, "I'd like your opinion on something."
"Sure," Tsukune called back unassumingly, only to be surprised as Moka yanked him into the secluded little alcove where she'd been browsing tennis outfits, and away from the eyes of any onlookers who might be passing by.
"Tsukune..." Moka uttered, her voice as low as her gaze as she fidgeted, releasing Tsukune, whom was now pressed between a rack of woman's tennis clothes and pink haired vampire who was precariously close to his person, and if her awkward motions were any indication, felt mighty uncomfortable.
"Moka?" Tsukune asked, cocking his head to the side. It was strange, he always had trouble reading this girl – this young woman he'd come to care so much about. Usually, when she pulled him off the side like this it, it meant... "ah, are you hungry, Moka?"
"N-no, I'm okay," Moka replied, her cheeks glowing a beat shade of red. She bit her lip nervously, before raising her head up towards the boy in front of her. For a moment, their eyes locked, and neither said a word. As she opened her mouth to speak, the blush that stained her cheeks crimson deepened to an even darker hue. "Tsukune, I..." She said, averting her eyes as she trailed off for a moment, before squaring her gaze upon the human before her, a glint of something else shining in her eyes. Determination? "Tsukune, I can't keep going like this anymore."
Sighing at his confusion, the pink haired vampire leaned forward and whispered in his ear, "I love you, Tsukune."
In that moment, for the young human boy, time stopped. His throat dried, and it felt as if something, deep in his chest, fell into the pit of his stomach. In the space left between, he was left with the sensation of vertigo, an intense dizziness like one would feel while leaning over a deep, dangerous cliff without any safety restraints. His heart raced - a bead of sweat trickled down from the crown of his forehead to his temple, and down the side of his cheek. He felt many emotions swell out from the very core of his being. Joy, nervousness, exhilaration, anxiousness, uncertainty, and something else. Something that Tsukune couldn't quite put his finger on. Something that, in that moment in time, he could not hope to articulate with his brain wracked senseless by those four simple words.
He wasn't sure how much time passed there, but the world seemed to politely wait for the two young hearts to finish their discussion. Smiling slightly, Moka said quietly, "I can't keep going, dancing around it anymore. I want to stand by your side, without feeling like you might disappear from mine any second. I..."
"I'm not going anywhere, you know," Tsukune choked out, his throat felt like a half dozen frogs had decided to make a nest there, yet he still managed to speak, if only just barely, "I'm not going to disappear."
"I... didn't mean literally," Moka whispered, averting her eyes from Tsukune and turning away, towards one of the nearby racks of sporting goods, "I just meant..." she paused for a moment, as if struggling with the words, "I meant that I didn't want you to lose you to Kurumu, or Mizore."
Realization swept over Tsukune at that very moment, hitting him like a lone tree on a snowy mountainside in the middle of an avalanche. Up until now, his life at Yokai Academy had mostly been spent in the center of those three girls attentions. Most of the time, it had all seemed too silly, like some kind of big joke. Monsters from legendary tales and mythology became all too human, as he slowly came to know the beings who learned and laid hearth within it's eccentrically crafted walls. It was almost like it wasn't real, like one day he'd wake up to find it'd just been one long, long dream so full of wonder. It was something that had touched the back of Tsukune's mind at times, a fanciful train of thought that left him both sad and amused.
Though here and now, before him, was a situation that seemed too impossible to be real, even by the standards he'd come to accept. In his heart, there was something new budding up that he couldn't quite explain, but knew instinctively. Fear. A fear that no matter what he did, the crossroads that were laid out before him would bring a change to this world he'd come to care for so much. One that, no matter what he did, threatened to tear apart everything he'd come to know about this dream so full of wonder.
Yet, he couldn't lie to himself. From the moment he'd laid eyes on the girl, who now was, in no uncertain terms, professing her love for him, he'd felt a growing affection. Many times, in the privacy of his own thoughts, he'd admitted to himself that he was in love with Moka Akashiya. Was this not, at this very moment, what he'd wanted all along?
"Moka, I..." Tsukune started to say, his voice shaking with anxiety and uncertainty. He had no idea what to say, or how to articulate what he felt. Did he even know what he felt?
"It's okay," Moka said, turning towards Tsukune with a smile on her face, "It's unfair of me to thrust this all on you so suddenly, and expect you to answer me right away." She closed the gap between them, and placed a hand softly against his cheek, "just... please, whatever your answer is, I need to know before we return to our homes."
Tsukune couldn't speak. Her hand felt so tender, and so warm. All he could do to reply was nod weakly.
Soulborn School of Scintillating Subjects and Supernatural Species
Serving scholarly sentients in superb submissions of salient specification!
Salutations, dear reader!
As the scribe of this sumptuous saga, I would like to introduce you to a small segment called the Soulborn School of Scintillating Subjects and Supernatural Species! Within this speck of soliloquy we shall sermon a strong supply of shadowy schemes and suspect nomenclature. The Soulborn School is likely to become a staple as the song of the Soulborn spins on towards it's inevitable date with destiny. As such, there will be many uncontaminated idioms that require an infinitesimal sound of speech to solve. So sit back and sip from the stream of wisdom as she slides, in style, straight down your nose.
And never you fear, such speeches shall be seldom. It would be a stroke of tragedy for the ink slinger to overtake the stars of the show as the stories central attraction.
Signed in solemn and incommensurable servitude
Last Seraph
Sugegasa: A conical straw hat worn in many East Asian nations. Shunsui Kyoraku is known for wearing one. Also known as a sakkat, among many, many other names.
165,000 yen is about 2,015 dollars.
Koji: I could not recall, from memory, a single instance of the man appearing during either of Rosario + Vampire's serializations, so I'm kind of just winging it with him. In my interpretation, I pictured him as a real man's man, who has strong morals, a strong sense of responsibility, and a strong urge to see things go boom. This Koji likes fast cars, the entire wide world of sports (but especially baseball), loud music, and all manner of energetic gatherings. He dislikes things that are overly subtle, like complex strategy games, deep literature, and most forms of abstract art. Despite his fondness for powerful things, his most prized possession is a 1/6th scale model of the French Venus di Milo statue that he made himself several years ago. He has a deep love for his family and would do absolutely anything to see them happy.